Phytochemical Analysis of Hydromethanolic Extract and Its Fractions of Myrtus Communis Leaves From Skikda, Algeria: IC-MS/MS Analysis, Antioxidant Capacities, In-Vitro and in Silico Assessment of Anticholinesterase and Antidiabetic Activities

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of oxidative stress-related diseases, neurodegenerative and carbohydrate metabolism disorders necessitate the exploration of natural compounds with therapeutic potential. The main objective of this study was to explore in vitro the antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticholinesterase activities of hydromethanolic extract, ethyl acetate, and N-butanol fractions from Algerian Myrtus communis leaves. This study further identified the biochemical composition of the extract and fractions through LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis. A molecular docking has been conducted to clarify the interaction mechanism between enzymes and the identified components. The antioxidant activity was carried out using ferric reducing power, ABTS center dot+, DPPH center dot, silver Nanoparticles and phenanthroline methods. The LC-ESIMS/MS analyses of the hydromethanolic extract revealed high contents of gallic acid (278.150 mu g L-1) and luteolin (112.214 mu g L-1). The main constituents of ethyl acetate fraction were gallic acid (1502.228 mu g L-1), epigallocatechin (1204.629 mu g L-1) and catechin (410.925 mu g L-1). In the Nbutanol fraction, shikimic acid (2425.644 mu g L-1), and gallic acid (220.417 mu g L-1) were the primary constituents. Based on the antioxidant results, the extract and fractions demonstrated remarkable antioxidant activity. The most effective was the ethyl acetate fraction, with an IC50 value inferior to 10 mu g mL-1 against all tests used. Concerning the inhibition of cholinesterase, the hydromethanolic extract exhibited an interesting inhibitory effect against acetylcholinesterase (IC50= 22.82 mu g mL-1) and butyrylcholinesterase (IC50= 10.70 mu g mL-1). The extract and fractions showed significant inhibition against alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase, with IC50 ranging from 10.67 to 28.55 mu g mL-1 and 3.45 to 5.05 mu g mL-1, respectively. The docking study showed that gallic acid exhibited the most favorable binding energy towards alpha glucosidase. Conversely, Catechin demonstrated superior binding energies for AChE, BChE, and alpha-amylase. In conclusion, this species exhibits significant antioxidant capacity and enzymes inhibition, suggesting its potential applications in the prevention of many diseases linked to oxidative stress.